"On arrival at El-Ayoun, and while they were holding their first meeting with former workers for Spanish companies, the block of buildings containing the private house where the meeting was going on, was surrounded by police and the military, with the presence of the Deputy Governor, in a clear attitude of intimation for both the Saharawis and the delegation.

For more than one hour, our passports were held and we were interrogated on various matters, then we were then “kindly invited” to go to the State Security building in El Ayoun where our passports were withdrawn and we were retained for about two hours while our host, Eddia Sidi Ahmed Moussa, was interrogated for several hours. The next day, he was again interrogated in the Security offices, and throughout our visit we were “accompanied” with very little discretion by members of the police or the army who followed us wherever we went. Our liberation was no doubt the result of fast intervention by the respective foreign services or embassies, which were immediately notified."

Since 1975, three quarters of the territory of Western Sahara has been occupied by Morocco. A majority of the population is still living in refugee camps in Algeria. Those who remained in their homeland are subjected to serious harassment from the Moroccan occupiers. For more than 40 years the Sahrawis have been waiting for the fullfilment of their legitimate right to self-determination.

Give a donation!
Support the Support Committee. Help us work for the Sahrawi people's struggle for self-determination. Give a donation here.